US Job openings in April soared by almost a million to a new record high. as the US economy reopens nationwide.
The available jobs in the U.S. rose above pre-pandemic levels following a record surge in the spring with the leisure and hospitality sectors showing the largest growth in job openings. Job openings at hotels and restaurants leapt by 349,000.
The US labor department reported on Tuesday that Job openings in the U.S. soared to 9.3 million in April from a revised 8.3 million in the month before. This was the highest level on record since records began back to 2000. The world’s largest economy added a combined 837,000 new jobs in May and April.
However, many companies of all sizes in the US have said that it’s hard to find qualified workers. A record 48% of small businesses said they could not fill open jobs in April. Also, the number of people in the US who voluntarily left their jobs increased to 4 million in April, double the number from the same time last year. The quits rate increased to a series high of 2.7 percent. The number of vacancies surpassed hires by 3.2 million in April, the largest gap since records began.
Approximately 6.1 million people were hired in April in the US. However, that still left one in three job openings vacant. This means that there are now more job openings in the US than there are unemployed people.
Whilst companies in the US are hiring as the lockdowns and restrictions are eased, child care obligations, lingering health concerns, skills mismatches and boosted unemployment benefits have prevented some US citizens from returning back into the labor force.
